Wang Qiqi sat in her office, flipping through the reception applications compiled by Lu Qiaowei. "You didn't delete the photos of those beautiful women, did you?" Wang Qiqi scanned a few pages and realized there were still some attractive faces—this didn't align with the hesitant words the Fatty had mumbled earlier.

Lu Qiaowei knew the Fatty wouldn't speak well of her. She plopped down into a chair. "Did that Fatty keep going on and on about how great it would be to hire a beautiful receptionist?" She knew exactly how many ulterior motives men carried in their hearts.

Wang Qiqi smiled without comment. What could she say? Still, she figured the Fatty was all talk and no action; even if a dozen girls threw themselves at him now, the Fatty would probably still suspect they were only after his money. "He talks a big game about beautiful women, but he's just an armchair critic."

Lu Qiaowei agreed with that point. "He doesn't have ill intentions, but if I don't keep an eye on things, who knows what might happen." Lu Qiaowei knew that occasionally feigning a bit of possessiveness over the Fatty would thrill him, even if he complained outwardly about her being clingy.

Wang Qiqi watched Lu Qiaowei, who, despite her words criticizing the Fatty, wore an expression mirroring his own—a knowing look that needed no explanation. Ah, this must be their private marital dynamic, Wang Qiqi thought. "Fine, I’ll notify them for interviews. If I actually hire a stunning beauty for the front desk, you won't be mad, will you?" Wang Qiqi confirmed one last time.

Lu Qiaowei pursed her lips, recognizing Wang Qiqi was teasing. After a moment's thought, she replied, "Hire someone capable. Of course, if we can find someone both beautiful and capable, that would be perfect." Lu Qiaowei knew that even if she suggested not hiring a beautiful receptionist, it would still be pleasing for clients to look at them when they visited the office.

"Capability first, appearance second. However, I worry if we hire someone too gorgeous, it might distract the single guys. We must hire someone with good character," Wang Qiqi added, emphasizing the point. "That’s the most important thing. Otherwise, I’d rather pick a middle-aged woman."

Lu Qiaowei looked at Wang Qiqi’s slightly agitated expression and remembered the previous receptionist, Anna. "Don't worry. There are plenty of talented young men here; they might not even be interested in Han Tao. The most important thing is that you are still here."

Wang Qiqi quickly flipped through several resumes, selecting a few who looked decent on paper. "I need to figure out the Human Resources setup first." Ugh, Wang Qiqi felt she was getting sloppy. If she could just sort out the HR personnel, wouldn't everything else take care of itself?

"Still no experience," Wang Qiqi sighed. "Never mind. Let's get the front desk sorted first, then handle HR. We can let them manage the rest; we just need to approve things." In her past life, Wang Qiqi hadn't been responsible for HR. How would she know how to handle this kind of work?

Han Tao entered quietly, carrying a small travel bag. He saw Wang Qiqi sitting on the sofa, holding papers and studying them intently. "What's up?" Han Tao wondered why Qiqi was concentrating so hard. He walked closer and realized they were resumes. "Didn't we already set up the recruitment team a few days ago?" Han Tao only remembered this because of Wang Qiqi’s earlier complaints. When they started the company, they focused only on finding people with good computer skills; they hadn't thought this far ahead.

"We can't just pass on everything without looking," Wang Qiqi said, giving Han Tao a kiss. She pointed toward the kitchen. "There’s food in there; go grab something. Oh, right, are you leaving Sunday night?" She was thankful the Fatty had rented a two-bedroom place; otherwise, Wang Qiqi figured she'd either have to rent her own spot or constantly find a hotel room whenever she visited.

"Yeah." Han Tao casually dropped his travel bag and laptop wherever they landed, then hooked his arm around the Fatty's neck and led him toward the kitchen. Although they spoke on the phone daily about company matters, some things weren't meant to be discussed solely over the phone.

Watching the two brothers acting so chummy, Wang Qiqi turned her attention back to the resumes. John was supposed to start work yesterday, and Wang Qiqi had assumed he would take over these tasks. Instead, John made an excuse about needing to draft a partnership agreement, leaving the recruitment to Wang Qiqi. Feeling utterly defeated, Wang Qiqi deeply suspected John had tricked her into this mess.

Lu Qiaowei emerged from her room, greeted the newly arrived Han Tao, and then settled down with a book. "Oh, Qiqi, the school is organizing a camping trip next weekend. Are you going?"

Camping? Wang Qiqi looked up at Lu Qiaowei, utterly bewildered. Recalling her own graduate school days, she felt a wave of envy. "Your grad school life sounds so comfortable, always having activities. Back when I was in grad school, just getting seven hours of sleep was a luxury." She didn't know if other students lived that way, but her own experience felt miserable. "Thinking back, after a year of my master's program, I barely knew my classmates, let alone forming deep enough connections to help each other out in our future careers."

"To meet deadlines, I missed everything—even Christmas parties and graduation galas," Wang Qiqi mused. "When Fatty and Han Tao used to talk about their grad school days, I didn't think it sounded so rough. But now, hearing about your school experiences, Vivi, I’m genuinely considering going back to school for another master's degree."

"Experience a proper student life. Our undergraduate life back home didn't have that many activities. But studying abroad, especially for only a year, the coursework was already tight, and then this happened—sigh." Wang Qiqi grew more frustrated the more she spoke.

Lu Qiaowei hadn't expected a casual question to elicit such a strong reaction from Wang Qiqi. She immediately regretted bringing it up. "You can't compare. My degree is from some lousy university, and I was supposed to spend three years on my master's; you only did one." Completing three years of coursework in a single year sounded terrifying, especially considering Wang Qiqi also worked part-time. Lu Qiaowei truly admired her resilience. "Of course, I saw some classmates who were very serious; they focused on intensive study to land better jobs. For me, the only reason I kept studying was to spend time with the Fatty. Honestly, I'm tired of it after all these years." Lu Qiaowei knew she was likely headed toward becoming a homemaker; academics were no longer her priority.

As Lu Qiaowei spoke, Wang Qiqi barely heard a word, her mind racing. That’s right. Since I’m not relying on a degree to find a job, why not study something I actually like? "Yes, Vivi, is your school still accepting students in the fall? I want to keep studying."

Wang Qiqi’s announcement stunned Lu Qiaowei into silence, and even the Fatty and Han Tao looked around, unsure how to react. After a long pause, Han Tao finally spoke. "Qiqi, you plan to go back to school?" Good heavens, was he marrying a wife who was obsessively academic? "Are you planning a second bachelor's degree or a second master's?"

Wang Qiqi nodded. "I plan to study European and American Literature." Wang Qiqi had already mapped it out: a major without extreme difficulty, where she could enjoy a relaxed four years. "Then I'm going to finally live the student life I should have had."

The Fatty stared at Han Tao, searching his eyes for some clue. In reality, if an American attended a top-tier university, the pressure was immense—otherwise, why would Harvard students frequently stage public displays of frustration? But at a regular university, life was much more leisurely. Especially for Wang Qiqi; she clearly intended to live the American college experience, and whether she got the diploma wouldn't matter much. College activities would certainly be plentiful. Given that East Asians often look delicate and exceptionally youthful, wouldn't she attract many admirers? If she weren't so preoccupied, especially with Anna’s presence, she would have noticed she had plenty of admirers at the company.

Foreigners might be open-minded, but with Han Tao firmly by her side, few would be foolish enough to confess their feelings to Wang Qiqi. But if Qiqi went off to school while Han Tao was still finishing his graduate studies, the Fatty had no idea how Han Tao would handle things.

Han Tao watched Wang Qiqi earnestly discussing her studies with Lu Qiaowei, feeling the weight of responsibility settle heavily on his shoulders. Yet, he couldn't stop her from studying; education was a good thing.

"Bro, it’s not that I’m not warning you, but you need to consider some things," the Fatty said subtly, his hands never stopping their gestures toward his stomach.

Alright, even if the idea was a bit questionable, this might be the best solution. "I'll consider it." Originally, Wang Qiqi and Han Tao had planned to wait until he graduated with his master's before thinking about marriage and children, when their lives would be more stable. But the situation had changed. If they didn't employ this tactic now, Han Tao genuinely worried someone might make a move. It wasn't a lack of faith in Qiqi, but it was better to avoid trouble than invite it; the simplest solution was always the most convenient.

The Fatty grew angry watching Han Tao still talking about "considering it." "Keep considering it, and you’ll have plenty to worry about. Qiqi won't be easily swayed; you two have been together so long, and your finances are already intertwined. It’s hard to break up now. But you don't want to deal with personal drama after handling all the business work every day, do you? Brother, make up your mind sooner." A small part of the Fatty’s urgency in giving advice stemmed from Lu Qiaowei having instigated this topic. The Fatty worried that if something truly happened, Han Tao would never forgive Lu Qiaowei, so he felt compelled to offer a way to compensate.